DECHAMBEAU, SMITH HOPE PUTTERS HEAT UP IN MASTERS FINAL ROUND

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith enter Sunday’s final round of the Masters inside the top 10. Although history is not in their favor, they still have hope of chasing down the leaders with a low round at Augusta National.

But one thing definitely needs to change from Saturday.

Their putters need to cooperate.

DeChambeau, who entered the third round with a share of the lead, shot a 3-over 75 to finish at 3 under and in solo fifth. Smith shot his second consecutive even-par 72 that included a string of 14 consecutive pars and is at 1 under and tied for ninth. Scottie Scheffler is the tournament leader at 7 under.

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Only one Masters champion since 1990 has won after being tied for fifth entering the final round – Danny Willett in 2016. The last winner to start the final round tied for ninth is Nick Faldo in 1989.

It’s a tall order, especially with the steady Scheffler seeking his second green jacket after winning two years ago. But it’s not impossible. The Masters lends itself to high drama on Sunday, and both LIV Golf players would love nothing more than to be at the center of the action.

“The way that the golf course is playing, I feel really confident with my ball-striking, probably the best I've felt in a while,” said Smith, the Ripper GC captain. “I feel like I'm in the golf tournament. It's only one or two their way and one or two my way, and it's really close.”

Added DeChambeau, the Crushers GC captain: “It's very difficult to chase, but I'm going to take what I can on this golf course where I can, and I've got to make some putts. If I can make some putts tomorrow, I think I can have a good opportunity.”

OK, so about that putting. Both players needed 30 putts on Saturday, ranking T-29 in that category. And both players acknowledged their frustration on the greens.

The back nine was particularly nasty for DeChambeau. At Amen Corner, he three-putted the 11th from 43 feet for a bogey, missed a 13-footer to save par at the 12th, and three-putted the 13th from 32 feet after reaching the par-5 hole in two.

His double-bogey at the 15th was off a tough break when his second shot hit a tree and left him with a difficult lie in which his third dribbled into the water. But then he three-putted the 16th from 45 feet and had to drain a 6-footer just to save par at the 17th.

“I'm going to look back on this one and try to figure out how to putt well, putt better on these greens and control the speed a little bit more,” DeChambeau said. “I haven't been able to use the Foresight on the putting green, which is another variable that gets thrown in, which is totally fine. I've got to be able to conquer it. Nobody else is doing it, and they're able to putt just fine.

“I've got to learn. Just like the greens books. We're not able to use greens books out here, I've had to learn and adjust to that. This is just another step. I've got to figure out, when the greens get this firm, this crisp, how to control the speed just a little bit better.”

Needing something good to happen on his final hole, DeChambeau chipped in from birdie to get back a much-needed stroke. “Just figured it was easier than putting,” he joked.

As for Smith, arguably golf’s top putter, it was a rare off-day. His ball-striking was solid; “I couldn’t have done much more, I don’t think, with the irons today,” he said. But his stretch of 14 consecutive pars from holes 4-17 were littered with some round-changing misses.

Consider this three-hole stretch of missed birdie putts – a 12-footer at the seventh, a 5-footer at the eight, and a 11-footer at the ninth. It finally caught up with him on his lone bogey at the 18th when he missed from 9 feet just off the green. He said he struggled all day to match up the speed and the line.

“I don't think I hit bad putts,” Smith said. “I just couldn't get the ball in the hole. It's just one of those days. I probably hit a bad putt there on the last to be fair.

“Other than that, I can't think of one that I'd want to have again. Just kind of frustrating. I feel like my game's in a really good spot and I've done everything right and not much has gone right.”

They’ve got 18 holes left to get it right. Despite the deficit, Smith will not force the issue. “I’ve been down that road before,” he said. He wants to continue hitting to 15-20 feet and hope that the putter finally heats up.

DeChambeau doesn’t have a target score in mind but he’s close enough to make some noise. Asked about his mindset for tomorrow, his response was short and full of confidence.

“I’m excited,” he said.

(DeChambeau photo courtesy of Simon Bruty/Masters)
(Smith photo courtesy of Chloe Knott/Masters)